Perry and Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with Tyler, Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith; in 1971, Tabano was replaced by Whitford. They released a string of multi-platinum albums starting with their eponymous debut in 1973, followed by Get Your Wings in 1974. The band broke into the mainstream with Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976). Draw the Line and Night in the Ruts followed in 1977 and 1979. Throughout the 1970s, the band toured extensively and charted a dozen Hot 100 singles, including their first Top 40 hit "Sweet Emotion" and the Top 10 hits "Dream On" and "Walk This Way". By the end of the decade, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army". Drug addiction and internal conflict led to the departures of Perry and Whitford in 1979 and 1981. The band did not fare well and the album Rock in a Hard Place (1982) failed to match previous successes.
Perry and Whitford returned to Aerosmith in 1984. After a comeback tour, they recorded Done with Mirrors (1985), which did not meet commercial expectations. It was not until a 1986 collaboration with rap group Run-D.M.C. on a remake of "Walk This Way", and the 1987 multi-platinum release, Permanent Vacation, that they regained their previous level of popularity. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the band won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997), while they embarked on their most extensive concert tours to date. Their biggest hits during this period included "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Angel", "Rag Doll", "Love in an Elevator", "Janie's Got a Gun", "What it Takes", "Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'", and "Crazy". The band also filmed popular music videos and made notable appearances in television, film, and video games. In 1998, they achieved their first number-one hit with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon's soundtrack and the following year, their roller coaster attraction opened at Walt Disney World. Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock history. Additional albums Just Push Play (which included the hit "Jaded"), Honkin' on Bobo (a collection of blues covers), and Music from Another Dimension! followed in 2001, 2004, and 2012. In 2008, they released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which is considered to be the best-selling band-centric video game. After five decades, the band continues to tour and record music. From 2019–2022, the band had a concert residency in Las Vegas, which was interrupted from 2020–2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including over 85 million records in the United States. With 25 gold, 18 platinum, and 12 multi-platinum albums, they hold the record for the most total certifications by an American group and are tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American group. They have achieved twenty-one Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100, nine number-one Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and were ranked number 57 and 30, respectively, on Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2013, Tyler and Perry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2020, the band received the MusiCares Person of the Year award.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosmith
Studio albums
Aerosmith (1973)
Get Your Wings (1974)
Toys in the Attic (1975)
Rocks (1976)
Draw the Line (1977)
Night in the Ruts (1979)
Rock in a Hard Place (1982)
Done with Mirrors (1985)
Permanent Vacation (1987)
Pump (1989)
Get a Grip (1993)
Nine Lives (1997)
Just Push Play (2001)
Honkin' on Bobo (2004)
Music from Another Dimension! (2012)
Draw the Line
Aerosmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No dice honey, I'm livin' on the astral plane
Feet's on the ground,
And your head's goin' down the drain
Oh, heads I win, tails you lose,
To the never mind
Where to draw the line
She was a wet net winner,
And rarely ever left the store
She'd sing and dance all night,
And wrong all the right out of me
Oh, pass me the vile and cross your fingers,
It don't take time know where to draw the line
Hi ho silver, we were singin' all your cowboy songs
Oh, you told Carrie,
And promised her you wouldn't be long
Heads I win, tails you lose,
Lord it's such a crime
No dice honey, you're the salt,
You're the queen of the brine
Checkmate honey, you're the only one who's got to choose
Where to draw the line
Checkmate, don't be late
Take another pull
That's right, impossible
When you got to be yourself
You're the boss, the toss
The price, the dice
Grab yourself a slice
Know where to draw the line
The lyrics to Aerosmith's "Draw the Line" describe personal power dynamics and the need to establish boundaries. The song is a reflection of the band's own struggles with substance abuse and conflicts in the music industry. The first verse speaks to the idea of winning at someone else's game, but ultimately rising above it. The second verse references a woman named Carrie who is a net winner, meaning she gains at the expense of others. The singer is drawn to her, but ultimately realizes he needs to draw a line and detoxify. The third verse uses cowboy imagery to depict a desire to escape and avoid responsibility. The chorus reaffirms the message of needing to be in control and knowing where to draw the line.
Line by Line Meaning
Checkmate honey, beat ya at your own damn game
I have won this round and outsmarted you at your own game, my dear
No dice honey, I'm livin' on the astral plane
Sorry, I am not interested in your advances as I am living in a completely different mental state
Feet's on the ground,
And your head's goin' down the drain
I am grounded and centered while you are spiraling out of control
Oh, heads I win, tails you lose,
To the never mind
Where to draw the line
It does not matter the outcome, I will always come out on top. It is also important to know when to stop and set boundaries
An indian summer, carrie was all over the floor
She was a wet net winner,
And rarely ever left the store
She'd sing and dance all night,
And wrong all the right out of me
Oh, pass me the vile and cross your fingers,
It don't take time know where to draw the line
Carrie was carefree and successful in her own way, but she drained the artist of all his own positivity and morals. He turns to substances to numb the pain and recognizes the importance of setting boundaries
Hi ho silver, we were singin' all your cowboy songs
Oh, you told Carrie,
And promised her you wouldn't be long
Heads I win, tails you lose,
Lord it's such a crime
No dice honey, you're the salt,
You're the queen of the brine
They had a good time singing together, but the singer's partner cheated and he knew he was always going to win. He acknowledges the unfairness of it all and compares his partner to a salty brine
Checkmate honey, you're the only one who's got to choose
Where to draw the line
In the end, it is up to the singer's partner to decide where to set their own boundaries
Checkmate, don't be late
Take another pull
That's right, impossible
When you got to be yourself
You're the boss, the toss
The price, the dice
Grab yourself a slice
Know where to draw the line
The artist urges his partner not to hesitate and take another shot. He encourages her to be herself and take control, reminding her it is her choice where to stop and set boundaries
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOE PERRY, STEVEN TYLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dougc3512
Just in case you didn't catch that part...
Checkmate
Don't be late
Take another pull
That's right
Impossible...
when you got to be yourself
Your the boss of the toss
The dice... the price
Write yourself a song... and... draw the line
@morganarose344
Checkmate honey, beat you at your own damn game
No dice honey, I'm livin' on a astral plane
Feet's on the ground, and your head's goin' down the drain
Oh, heads I win, tails you lose, to the never mind
When to draw the line
A Indian summer, Carrie was all over the floor
She was a wet net winner, and rarely ever left the store
She'd sing and dance all night, and wrong all the right outa me
Oh, pass me the vile and cross your fingers, it don't take time
Nowhere to draw the line
Hi ho silver, we were singin' all your cowboy songs
Oh, you told Carrie, and promised her you wouldn't be long
Heads I win, tails you lose, lord it's such a crime
No dice honey, you the salt, you're the queen of the brine
Checkmate honey, you're the only one who's got ta choose
Where to draw the line
Checkmate, don't be late
Take another pull
That's right impossible
When you got to be yourself
You're the boss of the toss
The dice, the price
Grab yourself a slice
Know where to draw the line
@fredbeck8011
In the 70s, few bands could rock as hard as Aerosmith. They were the real deal. So glad they are still with us.
@ledsith
Right on Dude !
@NelsonClick
I remember precisely. They were the coolest badass attitude rock band America had. Hard rock before "metal" came along. We played Toys in the Attic so much we wore it down.
@beornthebear.8220
My older brother went to a concert in the late 80s (I can't remember who he went to hear), but J Geils Band was to be the warmup show, but for some reason (likely illness) they didn't show. My brother and his friend who went to see the show said the warmup band blew them totally away. A few years later, when I had heard Aerosmith, I thought I'd ask my brother again what the name of the warmup band was. Sure enough, it was Aerosmith' (this is before they were so well known). My brother and his friend said the band blew their socks off.
@RBKeown
DWM was ok. PV was awesome. PUMP was so freaking good. GAG had a lot of good tunes. 9 Lives is a solid record. I hate the Armageddon song, too. Is that why you are butthurt about Aerosmith?
@infernicide666
They are an absolute joke nowadays Steven Tyler is a worthless pop star and a diva and they should retire already. Everything they have done since the late 80’s has been shitty pop music.
@user-nc9yf7ro2v
Another 1970's classic without a doubt!!!
@frank215n
I want my 1977 back
@strings53notlob50
Yeah….yeah…
@SgtRock57
You said it 😎